Isogloss%20configurations%20and%20the%20architecture%20of%20phonology:%20nesting,%20bundling%20and%20diffusion

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Isogloss configurations and the architecture of
phonology nesting, bundling and diffusion
William Labov, University of Pennsylvania
Methods workshop 13 Leeds
August 8, 2008
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William Labov Home Pagewww.ling.upenn.edu/labov
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Isogloss configurations
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Bundling
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Random
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Superposition
B
A
B
B
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Nesting
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Diffusion fan
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Diffusion corridor
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Two theories of phonological architecture widely
used in dialect geography
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Phonemes of North American English in broad IPA
notation
/i/ beet FLEECE /I/ bit KIT /e/ bait FACE /
E/ bet DRESS /æ/ bat TRAP /A/ pot,
balm LOT, PALM /ç/ bought THOUGHT /v/ but
STRUT /o/ boat GOAT /U/ put FOOT /u/ boo
t GOOSE /aI/ bite PRICE /aU/ about MOUTH /oI/
quoit CHOICE
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A binary notation as develoed by Bloch and Trager
/iy/ beet FLEECE /i/ bit KIT /ey/ bait FACE
/e/ bet DRESS /æ/ bat TRAP /ah/ pot,
balm LOT, PALM /oh/ bought THOUGHT /v/ but
STRUT /ow/ boat GOAT /uw/ put FOOT /u/ b
oot GOOSE /ay/ bite PRICE /aw/ about MOUTH /oy
/ quoit CHOICE
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The architecture underlying the binary vowel
notation
Vowels
Short
Long
Upgliding
Long and ingliding
Back upgliding
Front upgliding
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The organization of North American vowels into
subsets
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The Vh notation
A cover symbol for long and/or ingliding
Not essential. One can use // in place of /h/
Widely used in common orthography oh, yeah, bah
Pittsburgh monophthongization of /aw/ is
universally spelled dahntahn and
sahth Southern monophthongization of /ay/ is
ah in dialect literature mah r-less
dialects are shown with Vh in stereotypes
pahk the cah in the Hahvahd yahd
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Phonological principles associated with the
binary notation
Phonological systems are organized into
superordinate and subordinate sets (subsets).
Subsets form neighborhoods in which members are
more confusable with each other than with members
of other subsets. Principles of maximum
dispersion apply within subsets. Principles of
chain shifting apply within subsets.
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Neighborhoods of confusable sets that might
follow from the broad IPA notation
/i/ beet FLEECE /I/ bit KIT /e/ bait FACE /
E/ bet DRESS /æ/ bat TRAP /A/ pot LOT /ç/
bought THOUGHT /v/ but STRUT /o/ boat
GOAT /U/ put FOOT /u/ boot GOOSE
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Broad IPA notation in the IPA chart
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Four binary subsets in acoustic space
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Acoustic space of West Germanic vowel systems
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Integration of subsystems into a single acoustic
space
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General principles of chain shifting
In chain shifts, I. Tense nuclei rise along a
peripheral track II. Lax nuclei fall along a
non-peripheral track
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Directions of chain shifting on peripheral and
nonperipheral tracks
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Martinet on maximal dispersion
Phonemes co-existing in a language tend naturally
to optimize the possibilities that are available
from the speech organs they tend to be as
distant from their neighbors as possible while
remaining easy to articulate and easy to
perceive. . . Martinet 195562 (tr.
WL), attributed to de Groot TCLP 1931121
-gt The principle of maximal dispersion applies
within subsets.
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A stable distribution of English low vowels an
outlier not recognized as a member of the /æ/
distribution
mean F2 1700 Hz
/æ/ /o/
/oh/
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A stable distribution of English low vowels an
outlier not recognized as a member of the /æ/
distribution
mean F2 1700 Hz
/æ/ /o/
/oh/
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An unstable distribution of English low vowels
/o/ merged with /oh/ so that the /æ/ outlier
affects the central tendency of /æ/,
mean F2 1650 Hz
/æ/
/ooh/
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All vowels measured of Thelma M.
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Thelma M. means
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Thelma M. standard deviations
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Thelma M. short vowels (V)
/i/
/u/
/e/
//
/æ/
/o/
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Thelma M. standard deviations of short vowels (V)
/i/
KIT
/u/
FOOT
/e/
DRESS
//
/æ/
TRAP
/o/
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Thelma M. front upgliding vowels (Vy)
/iy/
/oy/
/ey/
highlighted vowels monophthongal
/ay/
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Thelma M. Vy with standard deviations
/iy/
/oy/
/ey/
/ay/
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Thelma M. back upgliding vowels (Vw)
/uw/
/ow/
/aw/
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Thelma M. Vw standard deviations
/uw/
/ow/
/aw/
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Nesting
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Change in subset membership
Neighborhoods may be formed across specific
locations in subsets
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The low back merger of LOT and THOUGHT
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The low back merger of LOT and THOUGHT
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The low back merger of /o/ and /oh/ in cot and
caught, etc. (ANAE Map 9.1)
Canada
E.N.E.
The West
W. Pa.
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The Canadian Shift
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The Canadian Shift
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The Canadian Shift in the vowel system of Marsha
M., 24 1997, Montreal, TS659
lowering of /e/
merger of /o/ and /oh
backing of /æ/
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The Canadian Shift in the vowel system of Hubert
B., 17, Toronto, TS798
lowering of /e/
merger of /o/ and /oh
backing of /æ/
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The Canadian Shift nested in the Low Back Merger
area (ANAE Map 11.7)
Low back merger isogloss
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The Southern Shift
hit kids
beatin
set bed
grade
Danny
Guy wipin
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Map 18.4. Monophthongization of /ay/ in 1940s and
1990s
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Map 18.6. Stages 2 and 3 of the Southern Shift
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
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Bundling
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The Northern Cities Shift
desk
busses
bosses
mat
head
block socks
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ANAE Map 11.14 Isoglosses defining the Inland
North
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The Northern Cities Shift Mean values of low
vowels for 21 dialects.
IN
PI Pittsburgh WPA Western Pennsylvania CA
Canada PR Providence IS Inland South M
Midland N Inland North.
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Age distribution of F2 of // in the North and
the Midland
North
Midland
age coefficient - 2.05
p .026
age coefficient 1.39
p .033
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Direction of change of nucleus of /ow/ (GOAT) in
eight dialect regions
Atlas of North American English
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Correlation of /ow/ fronting with // fronting
along the North/Midland boundary
F2(ow) lt F2(o) F2() lt F2(o)
F2(ow) gt F2(o) F2() gt F2(o)
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The identification of // in STRUT and /o/ in GOAT
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Age coefficients by means for F2 of /ow/ for 8
regions
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Resistance to the fronting of /ow/ (GOAT)

lt
lt1100 Hz
lt 1100 Hz
lt 1200 Hz
lt 1300 Hz
Columbus
gt 1300 Hz
gt 1300 Hz
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Fronting of /o,ah/ in the Inland North (ANAE Map
14.5).
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Diffusion corridor
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U.S. at Night
St. Louis
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St. Louis Corridor
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The Northern Cities Shift AE1 measure raising
of /æ/ (TRAP) to F1 lt 700 Hz.
St. Louis Corridor
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The Northern Cities Shift EQ measure reversal of
relative positions of DRESS and TRAP
St. Louis Corridor
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The Northern Cities Shift O2 measure fronting of
/o/ (LOT) beyond 1450 Hz/
St. Louis Corridor
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The Northern Cities Shift ED measure front-back
alignment of /e/ (DRESS) and /o/ (LOT)
St. Louis Corridor
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The Northern Cities Shift UD measure // (STRUT)
backer than /o/ (LOT)
St. Louis Corridor
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Full Northern Cities Shift of Kitty R., 56,
Chicago, TS 66
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Partial Northern Cities Shift of Rose M., 38, St.
Louis, TS161,
/æ/ before nasal consonants
/æ/ before oral consonants
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Speakers with all the defining features of the
Northern Cities Shift
St. Louis Corridor
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The St. Louis corridor along Interstate I-55
Fairbury
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Fronting of /o/ (LOT) in the Inland North (ANAE
Map 14.5).
9 Telsur speakers from No. Illinois










9 Telsur speakers from the St. Louis corridor








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Distribution of NCS measures in No. Illinois and
the St. Louis corridor
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